Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-01-05

came and poor Fredericks was pinned
and crushed by the wreck.
The effect of the collision can be bet.
ter imagined than described. The en-
gines Of the two trains reared into the
air like pair of living monsters and
then settled down upon the track, driv.
ing into each other until the cylinders
touched. The force of the impact
jammed the baggage cars into the tender
OF the fast train, and the express car
into the baggage and smoker.
In less than five minutes from the mo.
ment of the collision, and before any
organized effort ct rescue could be made.
fire from the overturned stoves COM
municated to the woodwork and the
flames leaped high in air, their roar
mingling with the cries of anguish of
the Imprisoned victims. The train men
and uninjured passengers were power.
less and could do nothing to recue the
sufferers. The express train was in
charge of Conductor Tom Haskell, en-.
gineer. Lem Eastman, and fireman,
VIM. Fredericks, and consisted of en-.
gine No. 726, mai, bak1sge, express
car, smoker, coach and two sleepers.
The freight train was in charge of Con-
ductor Fletcher, Engineer Keller and
Fireman Cullison. and con5lsted Of en-
gine No. 925 and sixteen loaded and
few empty cars.
C. P. Bradley Of Washington, D. C.
was found hanging from the window of
the smoker, but his legs were fast and
he could not be removed. There he re.
and his charred remains fell to the
ground . black and shapeless mass. He
was conscious and gave bis address to
the bystanders, and also said that he
was an officer Of the Knights OF Labor
organization. He gave bis watch and
other valuables he could get from his
pockets to Conductor Fletcher of the
freight train. Joseph Postlethwaite,
aged 81, and his sons Spencer, aged Is,
and Henry, aged IL. were hitting in the
same seat in the smoker, and their
charred remains were found in the ruins
Of the cars. With Postlethwaite were
his wife, two boys, = seven.year.
old girl by a form6r wife. q
little boy of FIVE, and a baby
girl of two years. They Eed sold their
farm of lS0 acres in Witsell county,
West Virginia, and were nabying to Chill.
licothe, Mo-, near where fostlsthwsite
had brother living, and whsre he could
make his future home. He had about
$500 in cash. check for $500 and sew.
eral notes in his possession, and these
were burned with his body. leaving the
poor widow with three children and no
clothing except what she wore, and
fifty cents in money. Her husband and
the two boys had left her but few mo.
msnts Before. and gone from the coach
to the smoker. Postlethwaite, as a
melted medal found in the wreck indi.
Gates, was q soldier in the Union ranks
in the late war, being member Of Com
pany A, Seventeenth Regiment, West
Virginia volunteers, infantry. VIM.
Frederioks, fireman Of the express, was
caught between the tender and the
engine and lived for two hours
but it was found impossible
to effect his release. His mother is a
widow, and lives in Washington, d. G.
He was member of the Brotherhood of
Firemen. which organisation took
charge of his remains, which were re-
moved to Chamberlain's under stalking o..
tabl'shment and prepared for burial.
His face ID death depicseti'sde agony Of
his sufferings before death came to his
relief.
NJ. II. Parks, whose address could not
be learned, was also wedged in the
wreck and burned to death, after hand.
ing bis money, letters and cards to one
of the railroad employees. His body
was consumed, as were those of several
others whose names are not known and
perhaps never will be.
When your reporter reached the
scene of the holocaust at /
o'clock to. day the ruins of the baggage
car, express, smoker and coach were
burning and scores of hands were en-.
deavoring to clear the track here, and
there could be seen sheets of blood and
pieces Of half burned and frozen human
flesh, and the workmen were still find.
ing portions of bodies in the burning
wreck. All of the mail, express and
baggage were burned, including large
sums Of money.
The scene ct the Chamberlain estab.
lishment was one calculated to make the
stoutest hearts quail. Nine shapeless
trunks of human beings were stretched
out in row like SO many charred hogs.
There were Postlethwaite and his two
sons side by side, and seven others none
Of whom could be recognized, and
near them mass of flesh and bones
that may have been parts of bodies
of different people. At the depot was
found VIM. F. Smith, of Waynesbor.
ough, Pa. who was . passenger in the
coach next to the sleepers. He was
sitting in the front part of the car and
when the collision occurred he was
thrown violently against the front door
of the Car but was not injured in the
least. He said he did not think there
had been collision but that the train
had run off the track. He helped the
ladies in the If to gather up their wraps
and said when he went back to his seat
to get his hat he noticed the smoker in
flames and saw an immigrant jump from
the car through the roof and wall Of
flames. He said no one in the coach
was hurt seriously. One man had his
hand burned slightly by falling against
the stove. After getting out Of the
car he helped to uncouple the two
sleepsrs and push them down the track
90 they would not be burned. He then
picked up Postlethwaite's little girl, who
was wandering around in the snow, and
carried her to the depot at Republic.
U. s. Price, the baggagemaster, was
burned to crisp. His home is in
Wheeling. There were. no doubt, many
more who perished in the wreck, a. the
number Of persons who escaped and the
remains recovered is not equal to the
number reported in the car. The mum.
ber actu ally lost may never be known.
sOMR OF THE SURVIVORS.
CHICAGO, January 4.--The B. 4 o.
long delayed wrecked train did not or.
rive at the depot here uutil 1890 this
morning. One of the first men to be
helped off was Harry C. Forester, of
Chicago. His head was bandaged and
his left arm broken. No sooner had he